Plugged In @ Hinman Straub

July 30, 2021

What’s Inside

  • Governor Announces Vaccine Mandate for Certain State Workers
  • Governor Launches Second round of $175 Million Workforce Development Initiative
  • Administrative Delays Could Cost New York $2.4 Billion in Federal Aid for Tenants and Landlords
  • Department of Justice Drops Investigation into Nursing Home Deaths
  • State Senator Biaggi Considers Cuomo Primary
  • Political Updates
  • Reminders and Links
  • Coming Up

Governor Announces Vaccine Mandate for Certain State Workers

The Governor announced that patient-facing healthcare workers at state-run hospitals will be required to get vaccinated for COVID-19 by Labor Day. The Governor also announced that all New York State employees will be required to get vaccinated for COVID-19 by Labor Day or, in lieu of vaccination, will be required to be tested for COVID-19 on a weekly basis. Further, the Governor encouraged local governments and school districts to take similar steps in areas where there are high COVID-19 positivity rates.

The announcement was met with mixed reviews from public sector labor groups. The largest of which, the Civil Service Employees Association (CSEA), issued a statement in support of the Governor’s announcement. Other labor groups, including the State Police Benevolent Association and the Public Employees Federation (PEF) issued statements suggesting that such a policy would require a collective bargaining agreement as they believe it represents a change in the terms or conditions of employment.

The Governor said:

President Biden is reported that he’s going to announce soon that all federal employees must be vaccinated or get tested. New York State is doing the same and we’re working with our unions to implement this quickly and fairly, but we want to get it done by Labor Day, and I encourage all local governments to do the same… So in New York and our state hospitals, all patient facing healthcare workers must get vaccinated. There will be no testing option for patient facing healthcare workers. That is a point of contact that could be a serious spreading event and we want to make sure that those healthcare workers are vaccinated – period.

Governor Launches Second Round of $175 Million Workforce Development Initiative

The Governor announced the launch of the second round of the $175 million Workforce Development Initiative. This second round of funding makes $48 million available to support strategic regional efforts that help New Yorkers find jobs and meet businesses’ short-term workforce needs, improve regional talent pipelines, enhance the flexibility and adaptability of local workforce entities, expand apprenticeships and address the long-term needs of growing industries. Information about the application process and program guidelines are available here. The Consolidated Funding Application will open to applicants on Monday August 2nd, and applications will be accepted on a continual basis.

The Governor said:

Economic development isn’t about making the rich richer—it’s about ensuring everyone has the opportunity to get a piece of the pie. During a time when our economy has struggled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s even more critical that we build a skilled and capable workforce, and that’s exactly what this $175 million initiative does. The second round of the state’s Workforce Development Initiative will leverage our resources to educate and train New Yorkers to both support their families and succeed in their professional lives.

Administrative Delays Could Cost New York $2.4 Billion in Federal Aid for Tenants and Landlords

U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer warned in an open letter sent to the New York Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance that the state could miss out on $2.4 billion it was allocated for tenant and landlord relief if funds are not distributed in a timely manner. In the letter, Schumer points out that New York is the only state that has not distributed any its allocation as of July 21. Schumer said,

[t]oday, I am formally asking OTDA to move heaven and earth to fix the mess, pick up the pace and get this federal money out the door before it’s too late for tenants and landlords. The message today is: tenant relief now. No more delay.

In reaction to Senator Schumer’s letter, the Governor announced a new streamlined application for relief funds. The new process relaxes documentation standards for both tenants and landlords and implements a streamlined process for submission of arrears documentation for multi-tenant landlords. The Governor also committed to being current on all pending applications by August 31.

The Governor said:

The COVID pandemic has taken a tremendous toll on New Yorkers all across the State, and they need rental assistance now. The $2.7 billion Rental Assistance Program is already providing funding to some of our most vulnerable residents who were prioritized during the first 30 days of the application process, and now we must focus on delivering funds to the remaining applicants. To streamline this process, I’ve directed OTDA to work with their vendor to disburse payments as quickly and efficiently as possible we can deliver billions of dollars in rental assistance to New Yorkers who have been struggling to pay rent due to no fault of their own.

Department of Justice Drops Investigation into Nursing Home Deaths

In a letter to some Republican members of Congress, the Department of Justice announced that it would not be opening a Civil Rights of Institutionalized Persons Act (CRIPA) investigation of New York, Michigan, or Pennsylvania. The DOJ had previously requested information from these states regarding state-run nursing homes. In response, the Governor took a victory lap calling the investigation an outrageous allegation and a politically motivated attack by the Trump administration. “We followed the CDC guidance when it came to how we handled people in nursing homes and when they went to a hospital, when they were brought back to a nursing home.” Other investigations are on-going regarding the reporting of nursing home data and the state mandate to accept COVID positive patients by both the Attorney General and the Eastern District of New York.

Senator Biaggi Considers Cuomo Primary

According to media reports, State Senator Alessandra Biaggi is considering a primary challenge to Governor Cuomo. Senator Biaggi unveiled a new website leading to speculation that it may foreshadow an announcement. The Senator did not deny any of the reporting which suggested she will announce a run for higher office, which may include Comptroller, Lieutenant Governor, or even a challenge to Governor Cuomo. Biaggi was a staffer for Governor Cuomo for a brief time. She left her role with the Governor’s office to primary former IDC leader Jeff Klein for the seat she now holds.

Political Updates

Cuomo said AG probe would clear him. Now his aides say it’s political.

Cuomo lawyer who was figure in sexual misconduct allegation set to resign.

Who’s running against Gov. Cuomo in 2022? A look at the candidate field.

The City: Staten Island 2022 Congressional Race Already Heating Up as Rose Hints at Malliotakis Rematch here.

Capital Tonight interview with Majority Leader Stewart-Cousins.

Assembly Judiciary member defends impeachment probe after Cuomo ‘independence’ comments.

State Senator George Borrello won’t rule out a run for Southern Tier Congressional seat.

Albany County Legislator will again challenge Assemblyman John McDonald in primary.

Reminders and Links

City & State NY’s Weekly Winners and Losers here.

Lawmakers call for safe injection sites in Rochester.

Coming Up

The Senate will hold a second public hearing to solicit testimony on voting experiences and issues from voters in Syracuse on August 4.

The Senate will hold a second public hearing to solicit testimony on voting experiences and issues from voters in Rochester on August 5.

The Senate will hold a second public hearing to solicit testimony on voting experiences and issues from voters in Westchester on August 9.

The Assembly will hold a public hearing on the provision of electric service on Long Island on August 9.

The Assembly will hold a public hearing on the Emergency Rental Assistance Program on August 10.

The Public Service Commission will hold its next meeting on August 12.

The Senate will hold a public hearing on the implementation of the COVID-19 Emergency Rental Assistance Program on August 19.

RESCHEDULED The Senate will hold a public hearing on New York State’s system of ethics oversight and enforcement on August 25.

The Board of Regents will hold their next meeting on September 13 and 14.

JCOPE will hold its next meeting on September 14.

The Senate will hold a public hearing to evaluate the current workforce challenges of the I/DD service delivery system on September 14.

The Senate will hold a public hearing to solicit testimony on proposed reforms to the voting process and operations of county boards of elections on September 21.

The Senate will hold a public hearing to review how school districts are spending Foundation Aid increases and ARP funds on September 30.

The Senate will hold a second public hearing to review how school districts are spending Foundation Aid increases and ARP funds on October 5.

The Senate Task Force on Opioids, Addiction and Overdose will hold a public meeting to discuss the impacts of COVID-19 on the overdose crisis on October 14.